Books read in 2018 📚 log(book)

Red Sister is a beautifully written fantasy novel that switches flawlessly between intimate characterisation, lyrical prose, and gripping action, all set in a deeply fascinating world. And by fascinating I mean: the moon is a parabolic mirror that heats a liveable strip of land at night, keeping the encroaching masses of ice at bay. Yess. And no, it's not scifi, it's deeply fantasy. I loved everything about this book, including the main cast, the supporting characters, the plot, the unpredictable turns, … wow!

The City Born Great

by N.K. Jemisin · published 2016 · read 2018-12-01

Short story on sentient cities. I liked it.

A Fisherman of the Inland Sea

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1994 · read 2018-11-30

I'm not a huge fan of short story collections – they're hard to rate, I don't like reading stories bunched together all that much, it's just not for me. So giving A Fisherman of the Inland Sea 4/5 stars means a lot – Ursula Le Guin always manages to show deeply familiar human sides to technological developments. Here I was impressed with her ability to show groups (families and other groups) interact and evolve. The deep understanding of individuals growing older, away from home or at home, was touching too, and terribly well executed. Oh, the humanity, you know?

Nova

by Samuel R. Delany · published 1968 · read 2018-11-29

Nova by Samuel Delany was alright – a beautiful space opera telling the story of a captain and is impromptu crew in a well-thought, well-described future a thousand years from now. I can't really say why it didn't grip me as much as other Delany books. My mood and the book just weren't a fit at the time.

Cetaganda

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1995 · read 2018-11-26

As per usual, Cetaganda is a very enjoyable book in the Vorkosigan series. It gripped me less than usual, which still makes it a very good book. We follow Miles as he saves yet another empire. I still enjoy both the dry wit and how you've got to think along to get the most of the subtle fun between the lines. Other than that, it felt like Yet Another Adventure, where usually the Vorkosigan books tend to contain series-changing events. Great scifi in any case, I'm looking forward to the next one.

The Mountains of Mourning

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1989 · read 2018-11-23

The Mountains of Mourning is a very touching Vorkosigan novella by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's deeply impressive to me how very emotional and touching this novella gets in under 150 pages, while still maintaining the character and tone of the overall series. Our favourite hero, Miles, confronts a backwater village while investigating a child murder. The crippled man confronting a society where killing crippled children is more than just tolerated – and at no point Bujold goes for the easy way out. No good vs evil here, oh no, just heartbreak.

Weatherman

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1990 · read 2018-11-23

Weatherman is a novella that is also part of The Vor Game. It was the weaker part of Vor Game, but it's still bloody good. I mean, it's Lois McMaster Bujold.

Dreamweaver’s Dilemma

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1995 · read 2018-11-23

Dreamweaver's Dilemma is a short story by Lois McMaster Bujold, set vaguely in the same universe as her Vorkosigan series. It's nice enough, and shows again her mastery at painting realistic scenarios in unfamiliar worlds, complete with a story arc, but also everyday details. At the same time, it didn't particularly grip me, the pacing was off, so it was just a nice afternoon read.

The Eye of the World

by Robert Jordan · published 1990 · read 2018-11-23

I wasn't that much of a fan of The Eye of the World. It's got a couple of things that make it good Fantasy: detailed worldbuilding, for example, and characters that were clearly recognizable and not all the same. A big bad evil and a young farmboy, well, you know the deal.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

by Becky Chambers · published 2014 · read 2018-11-19

This was absolutely lovely scifi that reminded me a lot of Firefly in terms of down-to-earth real ship operations with a lovely, relatable crew and a gritty/real feeling universe. Seeing the crew of the Wayfarer coming together, in all their alien differences, and following them on their way to a difficult job, and seeing their hardship and friendship, was touching and a wonderful help against the autumn gloom.

Hyperion

by Dan Simmons · published 1989 · read 2018-11-16

I think my problem with Hyperion were my expectations. The book is touted as one of the best scifi books out there, and it didn't live up to that. Apart from this, though, it's a fine scifi book – relatable characters, each presenting themselves over and their (mostly tragic) history over the course of an equally tragic main plot. Then, just when we're supposed to get some resolution, it simply stops. WHAT? Yes. The entire book is giving the cast background to make us understand the stakes, and then leaves us hanging on a cliffhanger. I'll read the next one, but I'll do it grudgingly.

The City & the City

by China Miéville · published 2009 · read 2018-11-14

The City & the City is a very impressive scifi book, but while I can appreciate its coolness and weirdness, and I can't point to a single flaw, somehow the story didn't quite grip me, although the concept of the two cities was introduced beautifully.

Bread and Milk and Salt

by Sarah Gailey · published 2018 · read 2018-11-12

I like: Bread and Milk and Salt by Sarah Gailey is a delightfully creepy and scary fairytale short story. It's online, so there's no excuse for not reading it – it's definitely worth it.

Oathbringer

by Brandon Sanderson · published 2017 · read 2018-11-10

Oathbringer shows how intensely Brandon Sanderson can deliver payoff to >1k pages long story archs. There are several moments where I was so invested in both the characters an the story, that the ongoing action made me emotional – we get to see our share of drug problems, depression, psychic breakdowns, all from characters that have a lot of history and have come a far way. Finally getting all the backstory on Dalinar, and seeing his development, were definitely worth the read – but I really wish that this Brandon could make this payoff possible in thinner books. The Stormlight Archives do tend to be … lengthy. And despite the length, somehow we never get to see how the main cast react to drastic events and revelations. It's weird – but it's still good (sometimes: great) fantasy.

Babylon’s Ashes

by James S.A. Corey · published 2016 · read 2018-11-04

Babylon's Ashes might have been the part of the Expanse series I've enjoyed most so far. We get to see the fallout of the previous conflicts (as with every book so far), and see how people act under the pressure of humanty's fate hanging in the balance. (I don't want to spoiler anybody, so I'll leave it at that)

A Hanging

by George Orwell · published 1931 · read 2018-10-31

Oof. A Hanging (available online) is a very short essay by George Orwell, describing in very matter-of-fact detail the morning of a prison hanging. It's as terrible and at the same time as common as it sounds.

The Kite Maker

by Brenda Peynado · published 2018 · read 2018-10-31

Do you like some heavy-handed xenophobia morals in your scifi? The Kite Maker is a short story playing on Earth, 15 years after a peaceful alien race arrived. The Dragonflies, as they were called, were greeted with violence, and now that they are somewhat integrated into society, the right mob moves against them. Heavy-handed metaphore is mixed with good characterization, leading to an intentionally painful, okay-but-not-quite-good short story.

The Lifecycle of Software Objects

by Ted Chiang · published 2010 · read 2018-10-31

The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang is a charming (if depressing) story of virtual pets who are trained to be cute companions, but when the fad fades – after layoffs and knockoffs – it turns out you can train them up over the years to have intelligence and an understanding of the world. Yes, like children. Hilarity does not ensue, but it's a well-enough-written story that felt realistic. If anything, I'd have appreciated a little less realism – I'm already familiar with all the depressive reality of the software industry, and I'd like something more in my reading.

The Obelisk Gate

by N.K. Jemisin · published 2016 · read 2018-10-28

The Obelisk Gate is the second part of N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, and it's brilliant. It continues the heavy character building we got in the first volume. Some characters grow, some change a lot, some change just in our eyes by virtue of being seen through different eyes, for example, our protagonist, Essun, is very different when seen by her daughter. Seeing the kid grow into her own character arc was beautifully done.

Matter

by Iain M. Banks · published 2008 · read 2018-10-27

I like Iain Banks and his Culture series very much, but Matter was a let-down for me. It's an okay book, and that's really quite disappointing copared to the potential of both the series and its own contents.

The Core

by Peter V. Brett · published 2017 · read 2018-10-24

The Core concludes the Demon Cycle series by Peter Brett, and it was a disappointment to me. While we still get a couple of cool side characters, the main cast has grown unrelatable to me. The story often felt like a mix of fanfiction and a detailed narration of a video game: hack, slash, get your dreams, feel mandatory doubt and off you go to your heroic journey, filled with never-too-difficult enemies. The bit of relevant character development itself (Renna, mostly) seemed to have taken place between books.

Artificial Condition

by Martha Wells · published 2018 · read 2018-10-19

The Artificial Condition is the second volume of Martha Wells' Murderbot series, and it's definitely better than the first one. I see why people love Murderbot, now – they, and their interaction with both humans and other bots, are bittersweet and relatable. In this second volume, Murderbot has to figure out what to do with their freedom, and they use it well – to examine their past, and work on ways to live their future. I enjoyed that while the protagonist is snarky, the snarkiness isn't overdone at all, and leaves spaces for cleverness, and vulnerability, and all kinds of connections to other people.

An Unkindness of Ghosts

by Rivers Solomon · published 2017 · read 2018-10-18

An Unkindness of Ghosts is so good that it seems implausible that it is Rivers Solomon's debut novel. I mean, I'm very much into generational starships as a literary setting, but this is the best usage of the genre I've encountered so far (it nearly reached a five-star rating for me). We find ourselves on a generational starship, over 200 years into the journey away from a dead planet Earth. People are organized by deck, with the upper decks being the ruling class with a Sovereign, and the lower decks being the ill-treated worker class under guard. But instead of being as simplistic and YA-y as this sounds, An Unkindness of Ghosts goes deeper.

The Labyrinth Index

by Charles Stross · published 2018 · read 2018-10-16

The Labyrinth Index, the latest entry in Charlie Stross' Laundry Files series … escalates. When the last volume of the Laundry Files featured an apocalyptic ending, I was under the impression that Charlie was fed up with reality overtaking his books pre-publication, and escalated to a level reality isn't yet willing to follow.

The Delirium Brief

by Charles Stross · published 2017 · read 2018-10-16

The Delirium Brief is yet another entry in the Laundry series by Charlie Stross, and with our first and favourite POV character Bob to boot! It features a culmination of a lot of characters, concepts and plot points introduced in previous parts of the series, which is nice in general – except that the first quarter of the book is exposition/reminder of the who's who and what's what of the Laundryverse, which felt very tedious.

Blood Song

by Anthony Ryan · published 2011 · read 2018-10-12

Blood Song is the start of the Raven's Shadow series by Anthony Ryan. It was hard to make up my mind about this book – it changed a lot over the course of the story.

11/22/63

by Stephen King · published 2011 · read 2018-10-09

I found 11/22/63 a good time travel story (Would you give five years of your life to stop the JFK assassination, given the chance?). Stephen King, as always, excells at the depiction of real, gritty human life with all its ups and downs. I really think he can write about anything, natural or supernatural, as long as it has at least a tenuous connection to Maine. The story had internal consistency, a bit of character development (with a not all that clever protagonist, which I appreciated – not all protagonists need to be the cleverererest), and a satisfying conclusion. Readers of It will appreciate the tie-ins, and I caught whiffs of the Dark Tower aesthetic and resonating themes. The quality of writing is, as always with King, good: believable characters, mostly even with more than one dimension, tight writing, the usual brilliant use of foreshadowing and -telling.

Unholy Land

by Lavie Tidhar · published 2018 · read 2018-10-08

Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar was not particularly impressive to me. It's a story set in a world where the Jewish state was founded in a part of Kenya, as proposed in the Uganda Scheme by the British at the time. It then escalates to include alternate realities in general, which is a topic I like a lot – but I felt like the book tried to be too many things at the same time, which turned into not being good at any of them. The characters were so busy with the plot that there wasn't really time for any character development. The plot wanted to hand us a lot of action, and realisticly annoying modern life, but often had to make way for lyrical-weird storytelling (which I liked, btw). The storytelling sometimes was (trying to be) very fancy (look, we can use different POVs! First person narrator, second person narrator, thir… ), but then had to take some time off in between to deal with some action in the plot. And so on, and so on – I got the feeling that there were easily two or three good books in there, but that they were combined badly. It's still an entertaining book, but it's not shaping up to stand out. I'll give bonus points for ths line, though: "You can call it quantum mechanics, you can call it Kaballah, but either way …"

Every Heart a Doorway

by Seanan McGuire · published 2016 · read 2018-10-06

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire is a nice little fantasy tale of the place where children go after going through a Door to Another Place (Fairylands, for example), and then coming back. It's short, and sweet, and sad, and gruesome. It's about real children, not a list of characters from other books, either. The gruesome part is the murder mystery half of the book, but that's really only window dressing for the exploration of the characters and worlds. It's short, and I'd have liked to see more exploration of both the children and their worlds – but that's what the sequel is there for.

Mind of My Mind

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1977 · read 2018-10-06

I liked Mind of My Mind by Octavia Butler – to me it was the most interesting part of the Patternmaster series so far. It explores how, within our society as it exists today, the Patternist community came to exist, and soon dominated life everywhere. It's exactly the bit of backstory I was missing. That said, I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters. I think this was due to the rushed feeling – by skipping large intervals of time, we get told about important character and group developments, instead of being shown, which is unfortunate: with more space and exploration, this would have made an outstanding book.

Provenance

by Ann Leckie · published 2017 · read 2018-10-05

Provenance by Ann Leckie is set in the Ancillary universe, but doesn't have much to do with the Radch or any of the known characters. Instead, it's a pleasant little space-opera adventure. I enjoyed it a lot, even if it didn't have the same quality as the Ancillary trilogy – it clearly doesn't aim to be the same book, and that worked for me. The protagonist is young, sometimes clever, but noticeably inexperienced and often wrong. There are a couple of inconsistencies in her character, I'd say (both painfully insecure, and sufficiently sure of herself to pull off big plots of her own?), but having the inner view on a clever, but anxious person was convincing, all things considered. As usual for Leckie, relationships are not really fleshed out (because, again, the protagonist is somewhat clueless, although we do get a very low-key romance), so it falls to the reader to notice interactions and draw conclusions. The worldbuilding was very good, as to be expected, and I'd have loved to see more of it, especially of the different human and non-human cultures.

Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew

by Michael D. Leinbach · published 2018 · read 2018-10-04

Bringing Columbia Home is the story of the aftermath of the break-up of the Columbia shuttle, told by Michael D. Leinbach who was a launch manager at NASA and bore responsibility during the collection of Columbia and the ensuing review. I didn't really like the book – the author gave me the feeling that the book was more written for the people involved in the clean-up missions, both volunteers and professionals, than for an interested outsider like me. Some chapters feel more like a long list of names and their roles, to include everybody who did important work at the time, which was certainly important to those people, but at the same time a bit tedious. A bit of stylistic editing would have helped a lot here. I also felt that quite some things I'd be interested in (e.g. the concrete organizational consequences to change NASA feedback culture) were glossed over way too much.

Four Ways to Forgiveness

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1994 · read 2018-10-02

Four Ways to Forgiveness is part of Ursula K. Le Guin's Hainish Cycle, and gives us a bit of a backstory on the Hainish themselves, how the Ekumen was founded, and how worlds may come to join the Ekumen. The story is told in four parts, a character apiece. The characters do interact, but they form their own narratives. From the perspective of a slave, a military slave owner, an envoy, and a historian, we gain a perspective on the world of Werel, and the rebellion of the slaves against their owners.

The Daughter of Odren

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 2014 · read 2018-09-30

With The Daughter of Odren, a novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, I've now finished the Earthsea Cycle. This novella is very bittersweet – predictable only in parts, only because it recalls fairytales, but still very human and very real. A good ending to my Earthsea experience.

Barrayar

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1991 · last read 2020-08-19

Update: This book is a perfect read after Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. Sadly, Gentleman Jole is also the perfect read after Barrayar, somebody send help, please?

Empire Star

by Samuel R. Delany · published 1966 · read 2018-09-29

Second book by Samuel Delany, second book I positively adore. Thoroughly impressive, I don't think I've highlighted this much in any book in the past year, and it's a really short book at that. Describing it wouldn't do it justice, and so soon after reading it, I can't even try.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

by Patrick Rothfuss · published 2014 · read 2018-09-28

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a novella in Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle and didn't work for me at all. It's very lyrical, with beautiful, lyrical prose for its own sake, but it didn't touch me. It's like Rilke without any substance.

Battle Royale

by Koushun Takami · published 1999 · read 2018-09-27

Battle Royale is a badly written Hunger Games in a fictional contemporary totalitarian Asian state. The writing was truly bad, and the characters too. Do not recommend.

Uncanny Magazine Issue 18: September/October 2017

by Lynne M. Thomas · published 2017 · read 2018-09-24

Two reviews for this issue: Fandom for Robots is a charming humorous story about the only existing sentient robot (bulky out-of-date thing from the 50s) finds anime and fanfiction. Fluffy, funny, but sadly a bit inconsequential.

The Dark Forest

by Liu Cixin · published 2008 · read 2018-09-24

I felt both bored and annoyed at The Dark Forest (sequel to Liu Cixin's The Three Body Problem). The plot was convoluted and wandering, but not all that bad – but the people in it continued to be cardboard cutouts of one motivation, and optionally one emotion or one habit, if you were lucky. Also, the vanishingly few female characters had even less of a personality (and were mostly partners-of-somebody with little page time and even less impact). One female character was literally introduced directly as the protagonist's fantasy and then fridged to provide motivation for him.

The Last Christmas

by Alexander Wales · read 2018-09-21

This story has potential, but rationalists and their aversion to humour ruins it. The Last Christmas is a fun premise, but way too short to build it up properly, and so it ends up all over the place. Still: It's short, and a nice read, so if you want to see how an engineer deals with suddenly being Santa, go check it out.

Sweetheart

by Abbey Mei Otis · published 2010 · last read 2022-07-08

A bit on the nose, but still nice: Sweatheart is a well-written very short story by Abbey Mei Otis that is first sweet and then chilling in the path the story takes – nothing too special either, just a perfectly fine scifi short.

Six Wakes

by Mur Lafferty · published 2017 · read 2018-09-20

Six Wakes is a scifi murder mystery in space: Cloning is real, but may only be used to prolong one's own life. A generation starship is staffed with six clones who will re-clone until the ship reaches its destiantion. But suddenly all six find themselves murdered and re-awaken without any memory of the last 25 years of the journey. As plots go, this one is good – sadly the writing was uneven and I'm not a mystery person, so despite the coherent worldbuilding and the simple-but-plausible characters, I wasn't drawn in too much. If you like space and mysteries though, I can definitely recommend it.

Children of Thorns, Children of Water

by Aliette de Bodard · published 2017 · read 2018-09-20

I wasn't aware how tightly this story was coupled with the surrounding universe: Children of Thorns, Children of Water sadly doesn't make much sense if you aren't familiar with Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen series, and comes off hurried and confused (but with potential in the worldbuilding!)

First Lord’s Fury

by Jim Butcher · published 2009 · read 2018-09-19

First Lord's Fury is the last volume in the very very excellent Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher, and it leads the six-book story to a terrifying finale. I enjoyed it a lot - we get a lot of well-thought action, and character development that builds on the established development of the previous books and avoids common tropes. The plot and the ending were both very satisfying to me. I'd have enjoyed having somebody new, like Kitai, as a POV character, for example. I think this is the first time among the six books that I thought the book was weaker than its predecessor, which is a big compliment for the series. After finishing First Lord's Fury I immediately felt the need to re-read the entire series – it's just that good.

Words of Radiance

by Brandon Sanderson · published 2014 · read 2018-09-17

I'm seriously impressed – Words of Radiance doesn't come with the usual drop or lull second volumes tend to bring. It advances the plot and the worldbuilding and the character development at a great pace. While we got the backstory of one major POV character, Kaladin, in the first volume, we get more backstory to the other major POV character, Shannan. The worldbuilding tells us more about the past of the various nations and their lore, but also on day-to-day life in different roles, and how gender roles play out and came to be. All of this is well-written (though the prose is more of a functional carrier of the content), and well-paced, and absolutely worth reading. Good thing there is another volume of The Stormlight Archive waiting for me.

Nemesis Games

by James S.A. Corey · published 2015 · read 2018-09-12

Wow, Nemesis Games was way better than the previous volume of the Expanse series. I enjoyed it tremendously. As a change of pace, we follow four people on their separate ways (although their stories are connected, of course), and learn more about each of them. Where at first this seems to be a calmer book to allow for more characterisation, things take off towards the middle of the book, and then they just don't stop accelerating. I'm really looking forward to how both the world and the main cast will continue after this.

The Fifth Season

by N.K. Jemisin · published 2015 · read 2018-09-10

There was nothing about The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin that I didn't like. It's a bit short, but we have two more volumes to balance that.

Look to Windward

by Iain M. Banks · published 2000 · read 2018-09-07

Look to Windward tells the story of a reluctant counter-Culture agent and wasn't really my cup of tea. While I appreciated that we get to see more of the regular, day-to-day life of people in the Culture universe, and that we also get the outside perspective on the Culture, too little happened and the story crawled along. A bit after the halfway mark, things got a bit more exciting, but overall it wasn't one of the better Culture installments, I'd say.

The Skull Throne

by Peter V. Brett · published 2015 · read 2018-09-03

Better than the last book, but what's that saying, really? Good: Character development including plenty of queer relationships (explicit working polyamory among them), people with relationship troubles, stubborn politicians, clever politicians, and the previously known (and loved, maybe) characters smack in the middle of it. The action is mostly split between two groups, with one dominating the first half and the other the second, which didn't always feel smooth – but both action and character development is well-rounded, and the established world building is expanded where necessary. But still with the fantasy racism and sexual violence …

Iron Council

by China Miéville · published 2004 · read 2018-09-02

I think The Iron Council was weaker than The Scar (which is the previous volume in the Bas-Lag/New Crobuzon trilogy), but I enjoyed it nearly as much, because I'm a sucker for revolutions. Also, it's noticeable just how skilled China Miéville is at talking about cities – each of the stories in the series describes at least one fundamentally foreign, weird city with a mix of cultures and races among the inhabitants, and thanks to the sublte worldbuilding and depth, I feel invested and interested in every one of them.

All Systems Red

by Martha Wells · published 2017 · read 2018-09-02

It's hard to judge All Systems Red on account of it being so short – it's fast-paced and engaging though, and I felt invested in the story. But after reading it, I was more interested in reading the next part and finding out more about the world and the protagonist – the whole book felt like it just provided a backdrop for the further series. As the series is generally well-liked though, I trust that things will pick up from here.

All the Troubles of the World

by Isaac Asimov · published 1958 · read 2018-08-27

This short story by Isaac Asimov, available online, was heart-breaking and well-paced. I was sick of reading of dystopic futures with evil, flawed humans and evil, flawed AI everywhere, and this story is a nice break from all that.

Carrie

by Stephen King · published 1974 · read 2018-08-26

Carrie was a good book, and I think its biggest failing was that it felt like a great book that followed a blueprint to greatness. But you can't say that the blueprint doesn't work – because it does. Carrie is one of those horror books that make very clear that the supernatural is not the stuff horrors are made of. That's reserved for regular humans and their actions and decisions. Stephen King is really good at painting humans in their day-to-day lives, with both their kindness and their cruelty. His pacing is also awesome and reminded me a bit of a tuned-down Vonnegut.

Patternmaster

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1976 · read 2018-08-26

Patternmaster was very enjoyable, and presented great characters (ever Octavia Butler's strength). There was decent worldbuilding, and I'd love to learn more about this world that is a distant decendant of ours – but sadly, the book ends way too early, at a point where I felt there hadn't been all that much plot yet.

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth

by Chris Hadfield · published 2013 · read 2018-08-26

This book is just nice reading in every regard. You'll learn something about space. You'll learn about NASA and interntional space agency relations. You'll learn about Chris Hadfield's life on earth and in space. It's a peculiar mix of his life story (or rather work story), and the more fundamental approaches that he learned on the way, and that allowed him to get where he got. There are lots of calls for humility, and preparedness, and perseverance, and empathy and helping others bear their loads. And at the same time, the book is completely light-hearted, and made me smile on a regular basis. It made my day better, and it might help make me better, too.

Diaspora

by Greg Egan · published 1997 · read 2018-08-25

While I liked Greg Egan's other novels, Diaspora didn't grip me at all and was very hard to get through. The fact that it revolves around an advanced species that can change itself to any degree it wants to made it hard to feel sypathy with any of the characters. The beginning was really strong, describing how their civilizations and personalities are formed. But after that, to my feeling the book consisted only of excalating physicsbabble and arbitrary personality changes, and this escalation continued right upon the not quite satisfying end.

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character

by Richard P. Feynman · published 1985 · read 2018-08-23

Feynman's autobiography was too far on the stream-of-consciousness side for my tastes, but at least this way the reader gets a very direct feeling for what Feynman was like. Not always the best person, and with his share of faults and stupid/bad behaviour, but at the same time very engaging and open. Some parts dragged on, but most were interesting in at least some respect. An enjoyable read in the end.

Night’s Slow Poison

by Ann Leckie · published 2012 · read 2018-08-23

I like Ann Leckie a lot, but Night's Slow Poison didn't work for me – the story was either too short or too aimless for me to appreciate.

City of Illusions

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1967 · read 2018-08-20

City of Illusions is part of the Heinish Cycle, and a good one at that! This book starts out slow, and then meanders, and then reaches a good ending – that is cut way too short, in my opinion. As is common with Ursula K. le Guin, we see the protagonist on a not-quite-intentional journey. The large time gaps in the beginning helped to keep the story moving, and made me feel invested in the protagonist's search for his past, without feeling that I was just seeing a common trope. The resolution was typical of le Guin, who rarely shies away from difficult discussions and decisions. If only the ending hadn't been so short! I'd love to read a book on the last 20% of the story plus what came after.

Babel-17

by Samuel R. Delany · published 1966 · read 2018-08-18

It's been a long time (apart from Too Like The Lightning) that I've read a novel that felt so tailored to me like Babel-17. I mean, it's a queer polyamorous scifi novel where linguistics are key, even to winning space battles, which there are plenty of. I have no words. It's also been the first time in a while that a novel brought me to tears.

The Vor Game

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1990 · last read 2020-08-20

The Vor Game is another Miles book in the Vorkosigan Saga, and as usual, it is a lot of fast-paced fun. I was lost over the first third or so, where it wasn't clear where the plot was going, and every time I thought I had it figured out, it switched to an entirely new track. I spent a good amount of time wondering how those threads would be tied back together, and the story did not disappoint at all – but it does turn out that the first third was a standalone novella at first, explaining the break.

Metro 2033

by Dmitry Glukhovsky · published 2002 · read 2018-08-13

I did not finish because the English translation was really really really bad. I got up to about 40%. Nice setting, but world-building comes mostly in infodumps. Story seemed interesting though.

The Three-Body Problem

by Liu Cixin · published 2006 · read 2018-08-10

I came into the first volume of Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past with high expectations, as there was somewhat of a hype surrounding the book. It's nearly as good as (and too me, evocative of) Subjective Cosmology by Greg Egan. It's very nice physics (and physicists) scifi. The characters were irritatingly flat a lot of the time (a common hard scifi illness), and often felt over the top to me. The beginning of the book was slow, and compared to that, the ending felt sudden (not rushed, mind, only sudden), and I missed some information and worldbuilding there – I can't be more specific without heavy spoilers. I appreciated the somber ending (although the very final scene was over the top for me). The translation was decent. There remained occasional phrases that sounded weird/unidiomatic, but it happens, especially if there's so much culture to translate.

The secret life of robots

by Suzanne Palmer · published 2017 · read 2018-08-09

This is for us robot lovers: The Secret Life of Bots is an utterly charming novella by Suzanne Palmer. I can't really say much without spoiling parts of it, but the protagonist is lovely without being humanised, the personal dynamics are sweet and witty, and the time reading it was very well spent.

Golden Son

by Pierce Brown · published 2015 · read 2018-08-07

Golden Son was a worthy successor to Red Rising. It, too, had a slow start, only here te start extends to the 50% mark of the book. After that, a slow and generic story picks up speed, originality, and its past characteristics. Even at its best though it's still forced in a way that's hard to describe: As if everything happened just because the author willed it that way, and may as well have happened completely differently without breaking any internal logic. The wooden language doesn't help either. I felt there was a lot of unfulfilled potential in this book, and I'm not sure if I'm going to continue the series.

Princeps’ Fury

by Jim Butcher · published 2008 · read 2018-08-06

Codex Alera continues to be stunning Fantasy – I'm honestly not sure how this Jim Butcher is the same who wrote the Dresden Files. Those are good, but nowhere near Codex Alera. In the second to last volume, we see a great mix of character development, new characters, characters with legitimate but opposing views, and of course brilliant last minute tactics. All characters we care about get a fair bit of development, and since nearly all characters are very very nuanced, including the deeper introduction of non-human cultures, I'm more than willing to accept the one or two plain villains. Seeing an end-of-the-world level struggle on all sides of the three plots (Amara and Bernard, Isana with the frost people, Tavi on an entirely different continent) was a good mix, even though I felt the chapter endings/POV switches were not always executed at good points.

The Way of Kings

by Brandon Sanderson · published 2010 · read 2018-08-05

The Stormlight Archive looks like it's going to be outstanding Fantasy – Brandon Sanderson starts out with a nearly flawless first volume with The Way of Kings. We get a fascinating, complex world, with slow, steady, and subtle worldbuilding (except for some on-the-nose "I'm explaining the rules here" in the first five pages). This world has a lot of distinct cultures, with histories, and mythologies (partly connected, partly separate), and we get to figure it out mostly for ourselves! The story is unpredictable (at least for more than a hundred pages at a time or so), the characters are distinct, mostly lovable or at least understandable, and not Mary Sue-ish at all. One of the protagonists has to deal with explicit depressive episodes, for example. It's a long book, but it's very much worth it, and while at times characters seem like Fantasy archetypes (is that Ned Stark? Is that Hermione?) – that never lasts long, and instead they evolve to be distinct characters that I can't wait to read more about.

Dune Messiah

by Frank Herbert · published 1969 · read 2018-08-04

I disliked Dune Messiah, and for different reasons than I disliked Dune. While my criticism regarding Good vs Evil characters from the first volume isn't relevant to the second one, Frank Herbert's narration style of showing the thoughts of just about everybody felt like a giant "tell, don't show". I felt like the story just crawled along. Everything was overthought and overexplained, none of the characters were likeable in any way, and very little actually happened. I felt that the large time gap ("I don't want to be the messiah and cause a jihad" - 12 years later, guess what) took also part in my disbelief at the fact that there was nothing an emperor could do to at least mitigate the issues he suffered from. Ehh, I probably won't go on with the series.

The Martian Obelisk

by Linda Nagata · published 2017 · read 2018-08-02

I felt like The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata only built despair to alleviate it, and that was about it. I think the reason is that I don't buy an Earth with reduced but still significant population levels and significant infrastructure mixed with sentences like "surgery became a lost art" and the debilitating despair that seemed to stop everybody from doing anything actually useful.

Crispin’s Model

by Max Gladstone · published 2017 · read 2018-08-02

Hm. Crispin's Model is modern Lovecraftian horror – well done, but I'm not into Lovecraftian horror all that much, and not into painting either, so it didn't grip me.

Cibola Burn

by James S.A. Corey · published 2014 · read 2018-08-01

Excellent scifi. Cibola Burn is the fourth part of The Expanse, and the series just keeps on giving. Every book is exactly what I want to read – difficult situations, new worlds, people who are consistent and neither good nor evil (except for Naomi, of course), but just live their lives. Cibola Burn felt very much like I'd fear the exploration of thousands of suddenly appearing new worlds would go. I think if you think too hard about the technology level displayed in the series, some missing (AI, among other things) tech doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I'm willing to forgive this for the vast, technologically and psycologically sound universe.

We Who Will Destroy the Future

by Margaret Killjoy · published 2018 · read 2018-07-31

We Who Will Destroy the Future is a nice little time travel short story, available online. Good story, good setting, very good narrator voice.

Inversions

by Iain M. Banks · published 1998 · read 2018-07-30

Inversions by Iain Banks is a non-Culture Culture novel – unexpected and refreshing. The story is told in Banks' usual masterful style, and all of pacing, characters, depth, and content are without significant annoyances. I think this is as much Fantasy as Banks will ever get, and I enjoyed the never-quite-touching storylines, and the connections you really had to look out for (and that were never explicitly explained). The fact that I knew that this was a Culture novel added another fun layer, too, because I was constantly considering who was part of the Culture and what their goals were.

The Daylight War

by Peter V. Brett · published 2013 · read 2018-07-28

Ugh. The start of the series seems to have raised a bar the other books can't quite meet. While my criticism of the second volume (too little character development) is met and answered beautifully on all counts, the story drags along a lot. While showing known scenes from a second viewpoint was cute in the second volume, it grew tedious here, and I felt that the pacing between story development and flashbacks was uneven.

Flowers for Algernon

by Daniel Keyes · published 1966 · read 2018-07-25

I liked Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – even though the ending in itself felt predictable, it was very clear that the journey to that ending was the core of the book. It's not an easy question: How much does intelligence determine who we are, and what would happen if our intelligence were to rapidly in- or decrease? While I liked the concept of the book, I can't say that I enjoyed it though … it felt too stressfull with a hint of the kafkaesque for that.

The Scar

by China Miéville · published 2002 · read 2018-07-24

The Scar is the second volume of Chine Miéville's Bas-Lag series, and it's as impressive as the first one. Only very loosely connected, we now explore the wider Bas-Lag world instead of New Crobuzon. Again, China Miéville excells with implicit worldbuilding, forcing the reader to think along and ahead (though there's less culture shock included than in Perdido Street Station).

Uprooted

by Naomi Novik · published 2015 · read 2018-07-21

Uprooted by Naomi Novik was a perfect fantasy story/fairytale. It's got all the right parts (dark magic, regular magic, unimpressed heroine, ambivalent wizard, etc), but isn't terribly predictable, and forms real characters instead of shadows of well-known archetypes. By following the easy-to-like first-person narrator Agnieszka, and seeing her relate to the Dragon, her best friend Kasia, and all the others, painted a vivid and realistic picture of the world. We even get a surprising amount of moral ambivalence, considering the genre. A very good book. I may start to read Naomi Novik's fantasy series if Uprooted is any indicator for that series' quality.

Distress

by Greg Egan · published 1995 · read 2018-07-20

Distress is another really enjoyable book by Greg Egan, part of his very loosely connected Subjective Cosmology trilogy. It's less "weird" than the other two parts, and might make a better starting point for interested readers. We accompany our protagonist, a scientific journalist, to a phyics conference on an anarchist island – less happens than in th other books, but that just finally leaves room for better characters and characterisations. The whole book, especially its increasingly twisty story arch, is very recommendable scifi.

Wild Seed

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1980 · read 2018-07-20

Wild Seed (first part of Octavia Butler's Patternmaster series) was good, but not great. She experiments with the implication of mortal and immortal characters, who definitely aren't gods, and while I enjoyed the premise, and the writing, and the characters immensely, I felt that the story meandered and didn't quite know where to go. It was still a very pleasant read, and I'm looking forward to see in which direction the series develops. (After finishing the book, I was told that I had started the series in the chronological order, not the published order, which was not at all my intention, and may contribute to my impression of a vague plot.)

The Will to Battle

by Ada Palmer · published 2017 · read 2018-07-15

The Will to Battle is currently the last volume of Ada Palmer's brilliant Terra Ignota series. One volume is missing, and it's supposed to come out next year, and I bloody hope so because this one leaves me aching for more. As with the previous books, I completely get why people would not like this book, at least its style, but to me it's magical. Even three books into the series, we get an astounding amount of worldbuilding, we receive new information on the previous books (in particular their creation, it's all Very Meta), all the while the world heads straight towards the biggest and worst World War imaginable. I love these books dearly, and the world Ada Palmer shows us is filled with wonders.

The Feeling of Power

by Isaac Asimov · published 1958 · read 2018-07-15

Let's put it like this: My grandfather is a maths teacher, and he'd love this. The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov explores a world in which computers are everywhere, and humans have forgotten how to do anything by themselves, especially calculations. Not a novel concept, you may say, but the publication date is 1958. I'm completely undecided on if this has aged astonishingly well or has been made unreadable, but I'd say take the five minutes and read it regardless.

The Wild Girls

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 2011 · read 2018-07-13

The Wild Girls by Ursula K. Le Guin contains a short story/novelly named like the book, two essays, a couple of poems, and an interview with the author. I liked the short story well enough, but it was like the remainder of the book: agreeable but inconsequential. The essays held opinions I liked, without anything actionable, and the interview showed a person I liked, but nothing more than that.

“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman

by Harlan Ellison · published 1965 · read 2018-07-13

This is a tricky one: Repent, Harlequin!, Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison is a metaphor against an over-reglemented world. It's old, and I'm afraid to my eyes it hasn't aged too well. It's got an important message, and the scenario isn't bad either, and the language is poetic, but it didn't capture me at all.

Ancillary Mercy

by Ann Leckie · published 2015 · read 2018-07-13

Wow! A worthy ending to the Imperial Radch trilogy ba Ann Leckie. The actions and decisions of the previous volumes find their somewhat logical conclusion in a complicated struggle for independence in an empire that has forgotten what independence even is. This book was a truly amazing mix of fast-paced action (lots of fun and creativitiy in there, too), and deep, deep character development. This series hit my tastes in every way, balancing action, character development, humor, serious issues of personal growth, society, and politics. Wow.

Worth the Candle

by cthulhuraejepsen · published 2017 · read 2018-07-12

While I'm a sucker for "suddenly in a game" stories, I dislike most, because they're typically really bad. This one isn't. It gets meta (well, not fast, but it does), and addresses most things you'll point out as ridiculous in the beginning. Still ongoing, and very good. LitRPG.

Influx

by Daniel Suarez · published 2014 · read 2018-07-11

Influx by Daniel Suarez was disappointing, especially since I enjoyed Daemon. Influx bore all the marks of a sub-par action movie, with one Deus ex Machina chasing the next, random high-powered technology spawning all along, a big reveal (oh no! everybody knew!), and characters who are flat, and either Good™ or Evil™. It didn't help that I disagreed fundamentally with the barely-veiled message Suarez tries to bring across (don't ever hide innovation, kids, or you may bring about the end of the world). Even the writing was way over-the-top to make readers see every scene as part of a generic action movie. Very meh.

Brothers in Arms

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1989 · read 2018-07-11

Brothers in Arms is the fifth part (in order of publishing) of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga and I enjoyed it immensely. After the previous volumes vaguely related tales, we finally return to Miles and his crew. It's been seven years (!!!. Where are the stories about those years? Well, at least one later volume takes place in the space between.), and it's brilliant. Miles is still the protagonist with the most absolute forward momentum, and the story has no clear villain, the characters are ambiguous, the narrator is only nearly reliable, and the plot is just tremendous amounts of fun. It really says something when you see that a series has 16 volumes + minor works and you're relieved because it won't be over quite so soon.

Dune

by Frank Herbert · published 1965 · read 2018-07-09

Dune is a classic scifi novel, which can mean it's anywhere between breathtaking genius and hardly accessible anymore. I found it a bit difficult to get into at first, similar to Ancillary Justice. Once I grew used to the storytelling device of an aggressively all-knowing narrator (frequently giving both/all inner views to all sides of a conversation), the world-building was fascinating, and despite the extensive narrator-explanations the reader is forced to make connections themself. My only misgiving was that large parts of the plot were too laid-out: the Mary-Sue protagonist, the evil antagonists, the good Fremen warriors etc. I hope that further parts in the series alleviate the clear-cut morals and abilities of the characters a bit. I'm looking forward to it – the world-building was exemplary. (Also, I can finally watch the movie now.)

Micromegas

by Voltaire · published 1752 · read 2018-07-09

Throughly enjoyable and witty. It's mostly Ada Palmer's fault I read this, but this is definitely the earliest space-faring fiction I know about.

Three Worlds Collide

by Eliezer Yudkowsky · published 2009 · read 2018-07-05

I always enjoy thought experiments with alien cultures with different values. This one was … well, very Yudkowsky-ish, which to me isn't only good in a story. It's still very enjoyable. Babyeathers and Super Happy People, y'all.

Abaddon’s Gate

by James S.A. Corey · published 2013 · read 2018-07-05

Okay, wow, this book had me discussing and screaming at it a lot. People die. People nearly die. Some of those deaths I was not at all okay with.

Excession

by Iain M. Banks · published 1996 · read 2018-07-02

This is the infamous Culture book that's mostly ships talking. Which is not the part I disliked, the ships and their story were cool! But the humans were terribly one-dimensional and felt lazy, which distracted me from the cool Excession and nearly-as-cool intrigue.

A Bluer Shade of White

by Alexander Wales · published 2014 · read 2018-06-30

It's rational fiction on Frozen. Cool, but characterisations are very much on the nose and progression is weird. Enjoyable short read though.

The Desert Spear

by Peter V. Brett · published 2010 · read 2018-06-24

Pretty okay successor. We see more of Arlen (and later, Renna, who has a wonderful story), Rojen (who was neglected), Leesha, and a fancy new character! Also, more insight into politics and the demons. Everything was very cool, especially how people had all sorts of agency. I felt that character development ran low in this book, but that's a common theme for second volumes, so let's hope the next one picks it up.

Hidden Empire

by Kevin J. Anderson · published 2002 · read 2018-06-23

2-3 stars for me. This is … space fantasy? A space epic? I wouldn't call it scifi, and it reminds me of Star Wars (although more thought was put into it). The writing had some seriously weak moments, large plot elements were predictable, and, the worst, all characters were clearly good or evil. It was never phrased like that, but c'mon. Seriously, that's no fun.

Perdido Street Station

by China Miéville · published 2000 · read 2018-06-19

Wow, this book was … a lot to take in. I liked it very much. Getting thrown into an Ankh-Morporkesque city, discovering alien races, and characters, and social structures was awesome. I noted with thanks that there was very little of a conventional story arch, so that the overall direction of the story only grew really clear when reaching 50-65% of the story. The very clear-cut and very different characters were relatable and realistic, and the final twists were all the better for the fact that they were not positive.

The Republic of Thieves

by Scott Lynch · published 2013 · read 2018-06-11

This was terrific. We get Locke, Jean, and Sabetha, their backstory (Scott pulls off the old past-present alternating chapters well), and a contest with unfair rules and unfairer outcome. I loved how, again, Scott makes clear that the women in the story (mostly Sabetha, but not only) have agency, and character. No matter if they choose to fuck people or not, their choices are shown to be theirs and valid, and men who don't respect that are shown to be assholes. It's great.

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters

by Neil Gaiman · published 1999 · read 2018-06-11

An astounding fairytale about a monk and a fox.

Snow, Glass, Apples

by Neil Gaiman · published 1995 · read 2018-06-11

Well, what do you expect from Neil Gaiman tackling Snowhite from the perspective of the evil queen? It's great. The princess's heart was a nice touch.

Binti

by Nnedi Okorafor · published 2015 · read 2018-06-07

I liked Binti a lot more than Akata Witch, which I enjoyed very much. Binti was impressive and creative scifi, and the tha fast pace (du to the <100 pages) was refreshing and very well executed. Binti is a wonderful protagonist, and the culture and belief system sketched out in the book made me hungry for more. (Also: living ships?! Living ships!)

Devil in the Dollhouse

by Richard Kadrey · published 2012 · read 2018-06-07

Nice story, giving us a hint of what being Lucifer will do to Stark. Short and … well, not sweet at all, as Stark discovers, then forgets, that he's not the second but the third Lucifer.

Catch-22

by Joseph Heller · published 1961 · read 2018-06-06

I appreciate the absurdity of the book, I really do. The plot was part funny, part horrible, always absurd and tragic. I see how the repetetiveness of the theme can be read as great. It just didn't fit my taste. It felt like it nearly could have been a Vonnegut, but wasn't thinking quite the same way. I'm glad I have read it though, it was time well spent.

Every Day

by David Levithan · published 2012 · read 2018-06-06

It's a nice premise, but the execution was somewhat lacking. Too dramatic, too predictable, and not going far enough. Interesting take on a groundhog-style premise though.

So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed

by Jon Ronson · published 2015 · read 2018-06-06

This book gives a good overview over the way online culture gravitates towards outrage and shaming. We get to meet some of the people impacted by this, and industries surrounding it, as well as contextualisation, both historical and with the justice system. While there is little actionable advice here – I appreciated it. It read like a very long, thorough reportage and I enjoyed reading it.

Parable of the Talents

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1998 · read 2018-05-31

Very very nearly a five-star book for me due to the ending, and I enjoyed it much more than the first volume. The story of Olamina told by herself, but commented on by her daughter, is really something. The pacing is outstanding and not very conventional (meaning you don't anticipate how the story is going to evolve and end). I was happy and impressed to follow Olamina through her budding community, her imprisonment, pregnancy, and founding a religion.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

by Daniel Kahneman · published 2011 · read 2018-05-29

Reproduction crisis hits hard, doesn't it. People who buy too much of Kahneman's book are insufferable.

Mit Rechten reden: Ein Leitfaden

by Per Leo · read 2018-05-29

Not terrible, but not good either.

Aloha from Hell

by Richard Kadrey · published 2011 · read 2018-04-30

This whole series continues its spree of positive surprises. This time we get a new Lucifer, and we get various conversations with God. Well well well.

The Other Wind

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 2001 · read 2018-04-29

A good end to the series. The different roles and characters were great, and the explanations of humans vs dragons explained previous plots.

The Last Starfighter

by Alan Dean Foster · published 1984 · read 2018-04-29

I'm sure the movie is much better than this, but the book is just a cheap version of Ender's Game.

Permutation City

by Greg Egan · published 1994 · read 2018-04-24

3.5 stars, weird one. Greg continues to play with the rules of perception and what perceiving a thing implies, only this time we go on a trippy trip to parallel universe central, launching of parallel universes as we go, dropping through thousands of years and more, and "failing" (in one universe, and what's one universe) in the end because the aliens we created have a more solid and cohesive perception of reality than we do. I just felt the whole time that Greg made all the rules arbitrarily and could change them whatever way he wanted at any time. Which may have been due to me not understanding the premise deeply enough (and is a feeling shared by Maria, one of the two protagonists, at least).

Planet of Exile

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1966 · read 2018-04-20

I definitely liked this one more than World of Rocannon. It shows us two alien cultures as seen by the other culture, and their interactions. It's short and simple, and its narrative arch is not very impressive, but it's okay or even good scifi, hands down.

Seven Surrenders

by Ada Palmer · published 2017 · read 2018-04-17

The second volume is a bit less on the 18th century France presumptiousness spree (but adds in some more Greek history to make up for it). Very wow, including how Jehovah/JEDD and Bridger meet, Bridger's choice, the Major's identity and so many little things we learn about Mycroft (♥), the hives, and individuals. Also, Utopians forever.

Ancillary Sword

by Ann Leckie · published 2014 · read 2018-04-14

Ancillary Sword was an exceedingly worthy successor to Ancillary Justice. We get a deeper look into the culture of the Radch and (most importantly) the characters we got to know in the first book. Understanding how all of them felt, especially Breq, even while they were navigating treachery, improper (!) annexations, war, and crisis, was a treat. This exploration of characters comes at the cost of action and pace, but the slower pace is made up by the frequent and fast changes of scenery. The book is more linear than the first one, but at the same time the consistent multi-focus storytelling is a different (and great) challenge altogether.

Falling Free

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1987 · read 2018-04-11

How is Lois McMaster Bujold not one of the first authors to be recommended to people starting scifi? Falling Free introduces the Quaddies (humans with arms instead of legs), as seen and told by an Engineer, capital E. It's awesome, and it's got everything you'd wish for: a new culture, social implications, lots and lots of economic and corporate implications (I see where Charlie got his Laundry File bureaucracy from), and the cultural implications aswell. Also, very sweet and cool characters all around, and funny af. Leo Graf, the protagonist, is just ♥

The State of the Art

by Iain M. Banks · published 1991 · read 2018-04-10

Culture short stories! Very different in length, topic, and quality, lots of good stuff in there. Chief among them the one from Sma about Earth, and the one about the plant creature/person using a humanoid for their "she loves me, she loves me not". And A Gift from the Culture was just hilarious.

Parable of the Sower

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1993 · read 2018-04-09

4.5 stars for me, but let's round it up.

Dark State

by Charles Stross · published 2018 · read 2018-04-06

Tremendous amounts of fun! We get all the things I hoped for: More cool grandpa, more cool Rose, more cool girlfriend, (also otherwise cool women, especially the Princess seems to rock), and more cultural juxtaposition. The evil guy within the Commonwealth isn't … openly evil? I'm not even sure which side of their story I beliefe yet. And then we get dropped a huge cliffhanger on us (Princess missing, Kurt about to visit the Commonwealth, Adam The First Man dead) that is straight up illegal in the EU. Good thing the UK is seceding, if you look at it that way.

Kill the Dead

by Richard Kadrey · published 2010 · read 2018-04-05

I have absolutely no idea how to rate this book. For a while it felt like a two-star urban fantasy pulp novel with lots of shoot-em-up situations and, well, urban fantasy pulp banter. And then it turns around and has some really good plot twists, and even some seriously good settings and dialogues. I'll give it three stars, but in reality it's more like chunks of two-star stuff and four-star stuff mashed together.

Imago

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1989 · read 2018-04-04

A very cool end to the series! I liked how after the human and the regular construct experience we now got the ooloi construct view of the world. To me, many things we were shown in the earlier two books grew clearer, even if this books story in itself wasn't groundbreaking. 3.5-4

Tales from Earthsea

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 2001 · read 2018-04-03

A couple of short stories taking place in Earthsea. I enjoyed how all of them showed some characters we knew already (sometimes just in passing), but through the eyes of people who would count as "insignificant" in most stories.

Quarantine

by Greg Egan · published 1992 · read 2018-03-26

This was lots of fun. The story is told in a four-star way, but it has so fucking many great concepts: Having a fuckton of software for your brain, and the implications of loyalty software, of cours. But mostly the idea that humans are unique in collapsing the wave functions of possibilities, and the implications of xenocide that come with it. Wow. And the implications of learning to suppress that reflex, and having human made quantum computing in the brain. ♥

Rainbows End

by Vernor Vinge · published 2006 · read 2018-03-23

Well, this was great scifi. It was focussed on a not very likeable, but very real character, and a completely informationally connected world. I enjoyed that it focussed so much on where and how information flowed, and the implications of VR. Lots of fun!

Too Like the Lightning

by Ada Palmer · published 2016 · last read 2021-12-06

For me, this was a five star books, plain and simple, but I completely understand why it would be a 0-, 1-, 2-star book for others.

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

by Ken Liu · published 2016 · read 2018-03-16

A heart-breaking short story about belonging, and families, and a tiny bit of magic. But mostly heartbreak.

The Star

by Arthur C. Clarke · published 1955 · last read 2022-03-05

A solid scifi short story. I probably shouldn't be surprised at Clarke's knowledge of the Jesuits. At only four pages, it felt well-written (but not quite as moving as it wants to be). This book is part of the 2022 Backlog Incident.

Ancillary Justice

by Ann Leckie · published 2013 · read 2018-03-13

by Ursula Poznanski · published 2010 · read 2018-03-12

Wow wow wow.

Erebos

Woah. Unendlich viel besser als Ready Player One oder Epic. Richtig richtig gute und gruselige Fassung eines KI-gesteuerten RPGs, das Auswirkungen auf die echte Welt hat. Hnnng.

The Shadow of the Torturer

by Gene Wolfe · published 1980 · read 2018-03-12

Really not sure what to think. Odd pacing, odd descriptions, odd … everything? I just didn't find my way into this world and this rhythm. The storytelling is a stylistic choice that makes sense within that world, but requires a dedication I don't feel motivated for (think Tolkien).

Ethan of Athos

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1986 · read 2018-03-10

Brilliant fun! Take this mostly horrible scifi concept of an all-female planet, reverse it to an all-male planet, then take it seriously. This poor protagonist doctor, sent out into the hostile and horrfyingly feminine universe, meets the brilliant Ellie Quinn of all people. It was SO MUCH FUN. (Also, we get a gay happy end, in a way? Aww www.)

Use of Weapons

by Iain M. Banks · published 1990 · read 2018-03-09

Very odd one - had me laughing out loud some of the time, and nearly bored at other times. I think the pacing threw me off. Very stunning ending, though, totally worth it.

The Metropolitan Man

by Alexander Wales · published 2014 · read 2018-03-06

HPMOR, only for superman. Makes Lex Luthor out as a semi-sensible person.

Tehanu

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1990 · read 2018-03-04

I liked the non-male focus on regular lives a lot! Tenar and Tenahu are both really cool. But the story was weird … pacing, content, it felt irregular and all over the place for me. Story 2/5, setting 4/5.

Akata Witch

by Nnedi Okorafor · published 2011 · read 2018-03-04

I definitely fell in love with this book. The only critique I can think of right now is that in the beginning the dialogue (and narration) was off, like it was more meant for the screen than for paper. But it's really really good regardless. This is how I like my fantasy. And also, finally somebody does four teenager teams right. Sunny and her friends are just lovely, and their whole world stands out because it is so vivid and real.

Empire Games

by Charles Stross · published 2017 · read 2018-03-03

This is what I wanted Merchant Princess to be. We see Rita do cool stuff without being too Mary Sue-ish, we get background, we get development, we get politics, and all that without being one giant economics textbook. Moar!

Rocannon’s World

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1966 · read 2018-03-03

As opposed to most Le Guin books, this one did not work for me. I was distracted by the different species on the planet, and the pacing was off, and there's something I can't name. The ending nearly raised the book to 3/5, but not quite.

The Princess Bride

by William Goldman · published 1973 · read 2018-02-28

Well, this was just plain funny. Great storytelling, great pacing, great everything. I caught myself looking up if William Goldman really had a son. He hasn't, thank god.

The Lathe of Heaven

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1971 · read 2018-02-27

I liked the premise of one person (well. -ish) changing the world via dreams, inclusing heavy retroactive changes. I liked the characterisations, and the overall themes, even if the pacing was a bit off. I even agree with the (Taoist) philosophy shown behind it, but I don't like being shown philosophies forcefully in books, and this felt like it. Not even close to horrible Narnia levels, but … tending to a bit Philip-K-Dick style storytelling. Didn't enjoy the last third for that reason. A good book, for sure – but not close to my favourite Le Guin books.

A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L'Engle · published 1962 · read 2018-02-26

Started off as five star book, ended as a three star book. I found the religious … themes very jarring, much less low-key than in Diane Duane's books. The descriptions and characters were great, the story and pacing a bit lacking.

Starfish

by Peter Watts · published 1999 · read 2018-02-26

Not my thing. Good solid characters, and the whole "living on the ground of the ocean evolving into something else was alright". The only part I really liked were the headcheese (erm, neural nets), and the fact somebody figured out which genetic side they'd take by asking one if it preferred Chess or Checkers. That was neat.

Wind Will Rove

by Sarah Pinsker · published 2017 · read 2018-02-24

Very nice scifi about an intergenerational conflict on a multi(think >100) generational spaceship, focussing on music, both the people keeping old music alive, and the younger people rejecting history. I liked the setting and world building and characters, but I was hoping for more depth in every way.

A River Runs Through it and Other Stories

by Norman Maclean · published 1976 · read 2018-02-23

Gave up half way through. I just don't get it at all.

The Warrior’s Apprentice

by Lois McMaster Bujold · published 1986 · last read 2020-08-19

Wow! If you're new to the series, … start here. This book has all the fun, and action, and, y'know, forwards momentum.

The Farthest Shore

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1972 · read 2018-02-22

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1972 · read 2018-02-21

4.5 stars, really.

The Word for World is Forest

I enjoyed it a lot. While I would have liked to get to know the alien culture (and its language!) even better, I was given a lot of context. Also, the story is told as seen by an alien, a nice human anthropologist, and a horrible, vicious, self-righteous human soldier, which was well done.

Adulthood Rites

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1988 · read 2018-02-20

I was still very interested in the progress, but less impressed as no terribly new concepts were introduced. Light and pleasant reading!

The Sword of Good

by Eliezer Yudkowsky · published 2009 · read 2018-02-19

Oh boy, Yudkowsky writes high fantasy, and it's exactly what I expected.

Sandman Slim

by Richard Kadrey · published 2009 · read 2018-02-19

Thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy, Dresden style. Dialogue felt stilted/lacking rhythm at times, but the Hell vs Heaven vs third party vs potty-mouthed gunslinger protagonist worked well.

Abhorsen

by Garth Nix · published 2003 · read 2018-02-18

Very YA. Good YA! But … too YA for me atm for a five star rating. Much better YA than many things I know, though. Doesn't feel like it can keep up with the previous parts of the series.

The Wind Through the Keyhole

by Stephen King · published 2012 · read 2018-02-17

Loved it. Both the inner and the outer stories took me right back.

The Day Before the Revolution

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1974 · read 2018-02-17

Novella: recollections of a revolutionary. Very Zen.

The Furthest Station

by Ben Aaronovitch · published 2017 · read 2018-02-15

Decent Peter Grant novella.

Dawn

by Octavia E. Butler · published 1987 · read 2018-02-15

Wow wow wow. Real scifi, brilliant scifi. The Oankali are delightfully alien.

The Player of Games

by Iain M. Banks · published 1988 · read 2018-02-14

Omg yes. More, please. One of the best Culture books.

Global Dystopias

by Junot Díaz · published 2017 · read 2018-02-14

While it was intense to see one of my nightmares written down, somehow it still didn't manage to capture me. Style and time didn't speak to me, even as the setting did.

In Calabria

by Peter S. Beagle · published 2017 · read 2018-02-13

Not only does Peter S. Beagle know his unicorns (and boy, does he ever), he knows his romance, too. Very lovely. I've never felt like an old, grumpy, Italian farmer before and now I wouldn't have want to miss out on this experience.

The Dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1974 · read 2018-02-12

Anarchist SciFi by Ursula K. Le Guin. It's a bit slow, but the content made me forget all about that.

The Tombs of Atuan

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1970 · read 2018-02-12

Oh wow. This touched me, and the ending was perfect. It didn't follow all the fantasy rules, it followed Earthsea rules. ❤

Maze of Light

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2005 · read 2018-02-11

by Stephen Vincent Benét · published 1937 · read 2018-02-11

Interlude.

By the Waters of Babylon

Post apocalyptic. Not my thing.

Sultana’s Dream

by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain · published 1905 · read 2018-02-11

Delightful role inversion.

I Am Also Thy Brother

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2007 · read 2018-02-10

This was a really rewarding (and terribly long) series. I liked the constant self-improvement and evolution the characters had. Even if the plot was predictable at times, and people didn't change much beyond their morality, I liked it, since they evolved in their understanding and behaviour. I even think I learned some things about myself, and have come to think of other things about myself differently – and what more can you ask of any book?

Die Weimarer Republik

by Gunther Mai · published 2009 · read 2018-02-10

Liest sich gut und informativ, einem wird nur halt immer wieder zwischendurch dabei schlecht. Liegt aber am Inhalt, nicht am Stil.

Das Dritte Reich: Geschichte einer Diktatur

by Ulrich Herbert · read 2018-02-10

Sehr trocken geschrieben. Der Band zur 1918er-Revolution aus derselben Reihe ist da ungleich besser.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

by Ursula K. Le Guin · published 1973 · read 2018-02-02

by Sarah Pinsker · published 2017 · read 2018-02-02

Infinitely referenced.

And Then There Were (N-One)

A multiverse scifi story! A convention of variations of the protagonist meet up – they discover divergence points, similarities, identities, and a body (of course, you did catch the Agatha Christie reference?).

A Song In Time of Revolution

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2006 · read 2018-02-01

More Harry and more Draco.

The Home Crowd Advantage

by Ben Aaronovitch · published 2014 · read 2018-01-29

Aw man, just diving back into Peter Grant stories is nice.

Skin Deep

by Brandon Sanderson · published 2014 · read 2018-01-29

Not as great as the first one, but longer, and fleshes out the concept nicely.

The Great Explosion

by Eric Frank Russell · published 1962 · read 2018-01-27

Aww, it's scifi from the 60s! It's witty, and funny, and sarcastic (but never quite mean). Love it a lot.

Doctor Who: Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories

by Eoin Colfer · published 2013 · read 2018-01-24

An alright collection of Doctor Who stories, but missable for the most part. Neil Gaiman's Thatcher story was unsurprisingly the highlight of the collection.

Wind That Shakes the Seas and Stars

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2006 · read 2018-01-20

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2006 · read 2018-01-18

Second War starting up.

Freedom And Not Peace

Harry trains his brother.

Comes Out of Darkness Morn

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2005 · read 2018-01-16

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2005 · read 2018-01-14

More hurt/comfort arcs.

No Mouth But Some Serpent’s

More like the first, but Harry is nearing his breaking point.

Saving Connor

by Lightning on the Wave · published 2005 · read 2018-01-12

Harry, well, lives for saving Connor. Slow burn, very much focussed on character development, but still sees lots of action and lore.

Captain’s Fury

by Jim Butcher · published 2007 · read 2018-01-08

Tavi finally finds out who he is (c'mon, we knew all along) and develops his furycrafting. He also saves the realm using his new-won influence, resolving a terrible war peacefully.

Cursor’s Fury

by Jim Butcher · published 2006 · read 2018-01-05

Tavi's now a real Cursor and finds himself sent to the military, where he continues to save the world.

Academ’s Fury

by Jim Butcher · published 2005 · read 2018-01-03

Still loving Tavis way in the world – learning, finding friends in the city, loads of character development, and of course he saves the world again.

Furies of Calderon

by Jim Butcher · published 2004 · read 2018-01-01